


Puzzling it Out

by magician



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Community: sentinel_thurs, Sentinel Thursday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 08:04:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9169951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magician/pseuds/magician
Summary: Blair overhears something puzzling





	

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place somewhere in Season Two, after Flight but before My Brother's Keeper. Refers to things that happened in the episode Flight. I'm calling it general for actual content, pre-slash for what's in my head - YMMV. 
> 
> Originally written for Sentinel Thursday for the prompt "social"

"Who's that?  Is he a perp?"  
"Nah, that's Sandburg.  He's working with Ellison in Major Crime."  
::snorts:: "With that hair? Did he transfer from Vice?"  
"No.  He's a civilian.  He's got a ride-along, doing some kind of research for the university."  
"And what does the PD get out of it?"  
"Dunno for sure, but I hear Ellison's a lot more sociable since Sandburg came on board.  It's like he humanized Ellison or something. Anyway, we've dropped off the report Banks needed; let's get out of here."  
  
Blair never looked up from the chair next to Jim's desk where he was writing a report, not wanting the uniformed officers to know he'd overheard them. Even without Jim's enhanced hearing, it was pretty easy.  _People don't realize how well whispers carry._  
  
The report was done, excepting Jim's final approval and signature, so Blair locked it in Jim's desk and got ready to leave. Just then, Jim's phone rang. Blair picked it up. "Detective Ellison's desk, can I help you?"  
  
_"Chief, glad I caught you.  The jury just came back.  They convicted the Manzano brothers on all counts."_  
  
"That's great, Jim.  I know how hard everyone worked to get it done.  What a relief."  
  
_"Hey, you worked just as hard as anyone.  We're going to meet over at O'Malley's to celebrate.  Can you come on over and join us?"_  
  
Blair warmed at the invitation.  _There's a perfect example of how friendly Jim is_ , he thought.  Jim went out of his way to include Blair at the PD all the time. "I'll be there with bells on, man.  See you soon."

 

*****

  
Blair was planning to catch a bus to O'Malley's, but it was a rare sunny day and he decided to walk.  It would give him time to contemplate what the officer said.  Had he humanized Jim?  Was Jim unsocial?  Blair didn't think so, but he let his mind wander back to a psychology class, trying to recall the definitions of sociability. Forming cooperative and interdependent relationships was part of it.  Involving allies and confederates. Having pleasant companionship with friends or associates. Caring about the welfare of human beings as members of society. A natural tendency to seek and enjoy companionship. Did those apply to Jim?  
  
Sure,  Jim sometimes did solitary activities.  He chose weight-lifting and running as his ways to keep fit.  And when he was working something out in his head, he tended to sit alone on the balcony rather than trying to talk it through with someone. _Someone like me_ , Blair thought, with a sigh. On the job, Jim often charged into a situation before waiting for backup, but Blair chalked that up to Jim's assessment of his own abilities and instincts, rather than being anti-social.   Blair observed Jim during PD operations, and he mostly worked and played well with others.  He had an easy give-and-take during planning and was a team player during execution. Admittedly he was often the ops leader, but even then he had a way of getting everyone to mesh.  Afterwards, he commiserated or celebrated with the team.  
  
Before joining the PD, Jim spent years in the Army, where working with other soldiers in groups that could change day-to-day was the norm.  Jim had been in the Rangers; an elite corps where each soldier was self-sufficient, but they often worked in cooperative, tightly-knit teams.  During his last mission in Peru he had been in such a team, a team where every member but Jim died when their helicopter crashed.  Somehow, Jim had allied himself with the local tribe and enlisted their warriors to help him carry out his Ranger mission.  All of that pointed to Jim using advanced social skills during his Army career.  
  
Then there was the way Jim kept in touch with old friends.  At least half a dozen times when he needed impossible-to-find information or help, he got in touch with old comrades.  Blair thought back, a little ruefully, on how many friends he had lost touch with over the years. If Jim was such a "loner", wouldn't he have dropped contact with people he no longer needed?  
  
And Jim gave of himself, both to people he didn't know--the citizens of Cascade--and to those he did.  How many people would have dropped everything and risked life and limb for a friend--even a good friend? Yet, that's exactly what Jim did when Simon and Daryl went missing while vacationing in Peru.  It didn't matter that Jim had the training and capability to do it; he was under no obligation to do the actual rescuing.  Jim made the decision to do it, without hesitation.  Blair would never forget how, when they found him, Daryl ran up to Jim and clung to him like a limpet, Jim instinctively putting a protective arm around the teenager.  Jim had a bond with his immediate social circle as well as his society.  
  
Finally, there was how Jim spent his leisure time.  He enjoyed fishing, camping, hiking; all activities that could be done alone.  But, invariably, he invited someone to come along.  Sometimes it was Simon or another friend, but lately it had been Blair.  And Jim was fun to be around.  He had a wicked, dry sense of humor, was a great story teller and a competent campfire cook.  He always showed up for poker nights and the various PD get-togethers.  He'd even helped Henri Brown move into a new house a few months ago.  
  
So, why did people perceive Jim as so aloof?  Maybe it was his physique and mannerisms.  He used them to good effect, looming or crowding suspects in order to intimidate them.  Blair had seen other people cower when Jim focused an ice-blue stare on them.  Jim often coupled that stare with silence, a technique that got people to talk, even against their will.  And he did have that famous jaw twitch.  It made him look as if he was barely suppressing the urge to punch someone out.  Yeah, those could definitely send out "back off" signals.  
  
_I wonder whether it's like when Jim puts on a suit_ , Blair thought.  It's still Jim underneath, but he projects something different, a part of himself that he pulls out when necessary. Blair realized he kind of liked when Jim was all dressed up, like when he was going to court. Jim had a body that looked great in a suit.  And, if Blair was being honest, he'd found the take-charge-you'd-better-think-twice-about-messing-with-me Jim kind of thrilling. He didn't find it at all intimidating; perhaps because under the alpha male shell was that very human guy who was becoming a good friend.  Maybe the people who thought Jim was anti-social only saw Suit Jim.  
  
Blair looked up from his thoughts to find himself passing the main Post Office.  Just a few more minutes to O'Malley's.  Not much time left for contemplation.  
  
So, now, the only piece that doesn't fit in his neat little theory is Jim's more... personal relationships.  Whenever Blair asked about his immediate family, Jim had given him the stink eye, and his marriage to Carolyn Plummer was short-lived.  As a matter of fact, Jim seemed to have little luck when it came to establishing romantic relationships.  The ladies sure buzzed around him, especially when he turned on the charm, and one-night stands seemed to go fine, but things never went further than a few dates.  How did that fit in with social/anti-social dynamics?  It was another subject Jim was prickly about, so Blair had limited facts to go on.  Maybe Blair could do more investigating. Stealthily.

 

*****

  
The noise from O'Malley's came pouring out as the door opened.  Blair walked in and headed to the large back room where he found all the Major Crime personnel and a fair number of detectives from other departments drinking and chowing down on wings and nachos.  Smack dab in the middle was Mr. Anti-Social himself, still wearing his court clothes.  He'd taken off the jacket and lost the tie, giving him a handsome but disheveled look.  He was fully relaxed and listening to some story H was telling.  Then he noticed Blair. Those eyes that could be so hard morphed to warm sky blue and he gave Blair one of those full-throttle smiles.  He grabbed a fresh mug and poured beer from a pitcher, bringing it over to Blair with a hearty "Chief, glad you made it. Did you get my report finished?"  Then he tousled Blair's hair to show he was kidding, and steered him over to the pool table.  
  
_Maybe Jim doesn't have problems with all personal relationships_, he thought, as Jim gave him a little nudge, indicating Blair should rack the balls.  This would definitely require more research.

**Author's Note:**

> "social" definitions taken from the Merriam-Webster online dictionary.


End file.
